Oyetola’s Consolidation Agenda For Osun Guaranteed – Baderinwa

Lani Baderinwa is the Immediate past Commissioner for Information and Strategy in the state of Osun. In this interview with SOLOMON ODENIYI, he speaks on what the new governor’s agenda of consolidation means as well as advising him on ways to go about his new office. Excerpts:

Do you think it willl be easy for the new governor to continue from where his predecessor stopped?  

The new governor incidentally has been part and parcel of the outgoing administration, indeed, the outgoing governor described him as the prime minister, the governor defacto while he is the governor de’jure. His contention is that there is no file that comes to him that does not pass through the chief of staff and the Gboyega oyetola is the chief of staff. He has been part and parcel of everything that was done in the last eight years and it will not be difficult for him to start his administration from where his predecessor stopped.

To you, what does the consolidation agenda promised by the governor stands for?

The truth of the matter is that it would be out of place, outrageous and seriously inconsequential if he fails to continue where his predecessor stopped because basically, he knews everything about the agenda being pursued. He is in the know of the purpose for which the agenda is being pursued and therefore when he is eventually sworn in as the governor, what I know will happen is that there will be possibility of him doing certain things differently. The style of the new governor and the outgone one cannot be the same even when they have worked together. I am very sure and certain that he understands the import of everything they have done in the last eight years which amount to building the foundation and future of the state of Osun for the wellbeing of the people and definitely will want to continue along that line.

As someone who has been part of the state administration if you are to pinpoint from the achievement of ogbeni, which will you pick?

I know about the six point integral action plan and it is structured in a way that you cannot execute one without the other and the achievement in one will only help to ensure achievement in the other. I will say that the incoming governor should rather concentrate on executing this integral action plan. If you ask me why, I will tell you that basically, the six point action plan has been the soul of what endeared Ogbeni to the people of the state who have enjoyed in one way or the other. Let me give you an instance, social intervention programmes policy is now enacted. There is no governor that comes without implementing those social intervention programmes. Indeed, there is no one which has not affected almost every household in the state. Do you want to talk about the OYES, it is not possible for a house in the state not to have a participant, or is it O’MEAL, O’AMBULANCE that has been helping to reduce the death rate in the state. O’Rehabilitation takes care of those who are mentally challenged, a number of them are not from Osun. Talk about the loan scheme for traders and business people, practically they are things that you cannot neglect. If you want to talk about general benefit you talk about road construction. There is practically nothing you want to talk about or is it security which has guarantee safety of lives and properties in the last 8 years contrary to what was obtained before.

You cannot banish hunger without banishing unemployment; you cannot have a healthy living restored without banishing hunger and unemployment. You cannot promote functional education without ensuring that people are in comfort in all ramifications. That is how interwoven those programmes are and that is the essence of it being the centre piece.